Sea kale babies

Crambe maritima 

I'm beyond excited that my Crambe or Sea Kale root cuttings sprouted!! 

Sea kale in the garden

A 'formerly common denizen of single banks' in N Europe and the British isles,sea kale is a delightful perennial wonder!

In Living in a Wild Garden,  British author Roger Banks wrote,  'there are still odd clumps of it,  .... at first you think you are looking at a distant line of breakers till you realize that it is neither rough enough for such a sea to be running nor can you hear it... 

'Then through binoculars, you see that your breaking line of surf is still - still as the great wave of Hokusai's picture - and that the lace-like foam flung up on its rearing green crest is as dry as the 17th century master's woodcut. ... you realize you are witnessing the flowering of SeaKale, Crambe maritima. If only people wanted to lift up their hearts, there would be special excursions to see such a miracle and of only they cared for their palettes, there would be a local cottage industry cultivating it...'

Sea kale in bloom

- Like other Perennial vegetables, Crambe's strong root system gives these lovely kale relatives access to deep minerals.

Their seeds have a corky coating, which allows them to float off and inhabit new shores! 

In the past, I've tried growing from seed a few times, then read that root and stem cuttings are much easier to start, and was able to get a few pieces of root last fall. There is an old population near a lighthouse on our coast, and these were exposed and so likely to break off in stormy weather and high tides. 

I simply tucked them in gallon pots of potting soil, putting a piece of garden fleece over each pot to keep slugs and other visitors out, and left then on my front porch over the winter.  

I was so excited to see each of the three cuttings beginning to leaf out. There was a nice root on the piece I just planted, and I'll give one to a friend who first introduced me to this long lived denizen of shingle banks!! 

Chrysanthemum Tea

 I have joined a Tai Chi class that meets thrice weekly in the park by my youngest grandkids' school. I've been doing Qigong in the park while my grandkids play a little while after their morning school time, then a friend invited me to join the group practice. 

It's been lovely to revisit the Yang Long form, which I first learned nearly 40 years ago, during my massage training. My mentor suggested Tai Chi as a life long practice, and way you learn good ergonomics. She was so right! 

A week or so ago, the friend who invited me brought me this lovely treat Tea Pot and flowering tea from Numi! I often steep tea in a glass tea cup with matching strainer - but this provides such an elegant experience! Each tea "ball" can be stepped several times, and I often as some of my own tea leaves for additional batches.

Tea pot and flowering tea

This little of year I'm often dreaming about new varieties for my garden, and was pleased to find Bo Jo Hua Chrysanthemum tea plants at my friend Melissa's Van Hevlingen Herb booth at the Farmers Market! She had two varieties, which bloom in the late fall like otter Mums. Bo Ju Hua (Chrysanthemum morifolium) doesn't set reliable seed, so is only available as plants - I'm excited to add these to my garden! 

I found several blog posts about these plants and the flowers, which support the liver, eye health, and are good for the heart, type 2 diabetes and easing headaches (Sage Garden Theory) on a Growing Tradition, Thomas recounted his search for the plants and success. 

Bo Jo Hua Chrysanthemum

Melissa said the plants bloom on Halloween, and into November. The flowers are first collected mid day, and dried then stored. I think they will be lovely to steep in the little round pot! 

Snowdrop essence and Intention

 

Snowdrop Essence - set your intention!

Before enlightenment, 

Chop wood, carry water

After enlightenment

Chop wood, carry water 

Attention to the small

As we chart our course.

Spring is an excellent time to refresh and renew, body, mind, spirit and emotions. Many traditions invite spring fasts or cleanses, as a reset from less activity and heavier foods of winter.

As spring flowers begin to emerge, I eagerly awaited my Snowdrops' bloom! During the Angel Cafe in November, Sarah Estelle mentioned Snowdrop as part of a favorite trio for aligning with our divine feminine energy. It is also associated with poultry, innocence and simplicity. 

Snowdrop welcomes energy into our crown and into the heart, and provides impetus to "set intention and rewrite our future." I was delighted to find the clumps under one of my apple trees in bloom, and make Snowdrop essence on the weekend! 

I put some of the left over essence water into a couple of mister bottles, following Sarah Estelle's suggestion of using it this way each morning to help set intention. Like her mama, mine loved blooming spring bulbs.

When I lived in the Breitenbush community, I often gave myself the gift of a day off after  a workshop. It was so nourishing to have time for integration, introspection, logging insights, practicing new techniques, receiving bodywork, and soaking in the hot mineral water!  I was grateful for the organic vegetarian, meals and herbal tea that were our daily fare & often made myself a flower essence bouquet to support my process and integration. 

Snowdrop would be a wonderful addition to a workshop bouquet. Another of our spring beauties, Camas, helps integrate intuitive and logical processes, and harmonize methods of learning. Tea Camellia, the "Ancient One, rooted in timeless beginnings, brings stillness, connection to one's true self, and provides a mirror for self reflection."

At times, we may experience a mountaintop breakthrough, either in life, or during a workshop. We see new possibilities shining... It's so beautiful to have that reference point of being so completely present - then, how do we integrate and implement shifts?

It can help to remember our tools for grounding, centering, and to continue our favorite daily practices wherever we are! Selenite is a great travelling companion - sweep your aura, do self Reiki, smudge the room, ground yourself. Maybe have a favorite herbal tea and breathe the stream ...

Some of my favorites are Qigong, flower essences, doing a creative practice, music, prioritizing local organic fare - so fortunate to have a year round farmers market! And Dark chocolate is my favorite treat!)

Sending blessings of spring, and Snowdrop flower essence, to Rewrite your future!   

Gratitude and blessings

I have been enjoying watching interviews and film clips from Findhorn, many filmed this year during the the time we are connecting in-person less often.

Today this Interview by Thomas Miller with Sandra Ingerman, a modern day shaman, came through, and​​ is fantastic! Sandra survived a near death experience, which is often the precursor to shamanic awareness and training. Sandra comments that shamanic ideas and philosophies transcend individual cultures and traditions, and are part of our earthly birthright. 

Sanctuary at Breitenbush 1983-2020

If we would like to see more harmony in the world, and a healthy environment, Sandra  invites us to set our intention, to affirm the vision, and to:

• Express gratitude daily: get up and give thanks to the elements: earth, air, fire and water. 
• Give thanks for food and drink
• Appreciate moments of beauty.
• Shine your light - as we see ourselves as radiant beings, we become them
• Do your personal practices, and release the outcome - Tai chi, yoga, meditation, kindness, pay-it forward, ...
• Connect with like minded community 
• Invite children to ceremony - release fear by breaking a stick, beam rainbows into their water, dance their light. 
• Children are closer to the unseen realms, trust the power of ceremony, and can help us remember how to tap co-creative power
• At Color of Woman graduation, my Apache friend Carmen told me the drumming the day before had been so powerful because, "the ancestors are so happy for you all, and so glad you are doing your work! Won't you be glad when your grandchildren do theirs?"

A number of studies have shown gratitude practices enhance our personal well being and mood, and even reduce pain! This ripples out, and has a harmonious effect on the world around us. 

We each have gifts to share, and power to bring positive change and harmony in the world around us. 

Let us choose love and joy, and positive action.

 

August Planting - through the Lions Gate

 Last summer I picked up a couple of damaged wading pools from Hopscotch toy store (for a donation) with the thought of making a couple of beds. While my soil is good clay, our dry summers and the shade in my overgrown yard make it challenging for some pants ... And my daughter has a BIG garden!

This spring while Kayleen and I cut back blackberries on one side, I noticed that area receives good sun, and moved one of the pools into place in June! I have been enjoying no-dig and container gardening videos, and used ideas from both. The soil is a mix from other areas, my compost, and from various pots. 

I got a Taro and Chinese yam from my friend Melissa Van Hevlingen, and had two tomatoes and a garden marigold from the Farmers Market, which I put in back of the empty pots.

Seeds included red Orach, spicy lettuce, Asian greens and Mesculin mixes, Okra, New Zealand spinach, chiogga beet, Kuroda carrot, and Pattypan squash. Borage, tomatillos and purslane volunteered in the surrounding soil and in the pots. ... And an avocado sprouted (from the compost!) The purple tulle provides a bit of shade for the Taro

I began working on the second pool this week, (note Percy kitty, enjoying the shade!) I cleared the brush, tied back the spearmint and vitex - which the bees love! 

I filled the bottom of this pool with the dried blackberry brambles, and the same soil and compost combo, topped with a bit of potting soul, and planted many of the same veggies, with the addition of lemon cukes, a round zucchini, endive and radiccio, sets from my topset leek, and a mix of flower seeds in the center for the pollinators.

I put a plant cage in for the peas that are soaking, and will plant beans as well ... Added a clump of garlic chives and baby Mullein, and covered the lot with tulle to deter the kitties! 

I sprinkled fresh seed from my Good King Henry, and hope some sprout to share. My plant is over a decade old, and going strong! 

Garden Goodness

This year during our time at home, my daughter and son-in love planted a big garden, and I've enjoyed the benefits! They have a large lot, and a lot of familiar crops. 

Last summer, I got a damaged wading pool from our local Toy Store, planning to use it for a raised bed garden ... I found a sunny spot between my garage and apple tree, planted some simple containers in it in June. I also moved in a couple of tomatoes and a Taro. 

I'm enjoying watching seedlings emerge Orach, okra, spicy greens and salad mix, carrots, purslane ...

I recently harvested seed from my perennial spinach and quinoa relative, Good King Henry - Blitum Bonus-henricus, and simmered some with quinoa for a tasty and naturally gluten free porridge. I've had my past colony over a decade, and appreciate it's carefree nature! It is in a corner that rarely gets extras water, is one of the first spring greens, and I'm still harvesting leaves to eat like spinach. I found the idea for porridge on a British blog. 

 

Pollen from GKH has been found in sites back to the bronze age in Britain and Western Europe. The author Alison also enjoys perennial herbs - which with their developed root systems, are often more nutrient dense than their annual counterparts. 

She offered a recipe for Khoubiza, a Moroccan warm "salad" - or pesto - made with common mallow and purslane! I loved the idea, and those plants both volunteer freely in my daughter's garden! My younger grandson loves purslane, so I had him keep me gather the leaves. I used coconut oil, and gathered fresh Thai basil and parsley to add to a colander of the wild greens - yum!! 

 I sometimes forget how much flavor pesto adds to a dish - the small dark seeds in the quinoa are Good King Henry, and I added coconut milk yogurt and Khoubiza for a delightful lunch! What's growing in your garden?

Tea Season

It's tea season, and a couple of days ago I harvested a batch of Sochi Camellia sinensis, and processed a batch of tea. It is such a satisfying process, and I'm always struck by the fragrance of the leaves as they dry. As this Camellia association article notes, few people realize that whenever they sit down with a cup of green, black or white tea, the brew comes from Camellia leaves! 

Last year, my friend Nikki invited me over for a tea party, both teaching me the process, and sharing cups of her beautiful tea. She sent me home with a basket of fresh leaves we harvested from her bushes, which I augmented with leaves from my own for a second batch. 

Camellia sinensis Sochi

Nikki and I both grow the variety from Sochi Russia, which is on the Black Sea, and the "most Northern tea," very aromatic and frost Hardy. While the flowers are small (about the size of a strawberry flower) It's leaves are about the size of my ornamental Camellia. The flowers can also be used for a light and fragrant tea.

High in antioxidants, especially catechins, green tea is preventative for cancers, lowers the risk of stroke, and helps control blood sugar. In Okinawa Japan, one of the "Blue Zones" for longevity, drinking several cups of green tea daily was common. They often added jasmine flowers and a bit of turmeric for shan-pien, "tea with a bit of scent."

Harvest - 24 hour rest

It's been rainy, so I needed to await a break in the weather to pick the tip 2-3 leaves into a basket. These leaves are still soft, and rest in the basket for 24 hours, with an occasional toss.

In the wok

The next step is done in the wok, I used round salad fork and spoon to gently stir and keep the leaves from browning in a "stir-fry green" process.

Turned out onto a well washed cotton kitchen cloth, the leaves are tossed till kool, then bundled into a ball and kneaded to lightly crush and oxygenate. Meantime, the oven is heating to 400°

Ready to knead

After kneading

When the oven reaches 400°, the leaves are spread on a baking sheet or pan, and baked for 3 minutes, removed from the oven and spread on the cloth. This is repeated for 2 minutes, then 1 minute, and the leaves gently tossed between each round in the oven. 

After first round in the oven

Third round

With each round of the process, the leaves get drier and change color, retaining a green tint. The fragrance is a lovely light floral, rather like Jasmine. 

Drying on the rack

Now the leaves are drying on a rack, and I toss them occasionally. When they reach the crispy dry state, I'll store them in a wide mouthed jar, with parchment paper under the lid, in a dark cupboard. This time, I separated some of the stem pieces, and baked a bit longer for kukicha or twig tea. 

#greentea #permaculture #longevity

T'is May!

As they often do this time of year, my thoughts and hands turn to gardening. It's been sunny the last week, and I've been digging ... 

My daughter and son-in law often have a lovely large garden, and we have two wonderful Farmers Markets, one year round, so I've not done much the last couple of years. There are always tomatoes, and I usually forget to harvest some of the garlic, so I divide and repent clumps in the spring! 

I've got a rather wild front yard (and am always surprised when someone stops to tell me how much they enjoy it! My camas blooms for a little while under a moss Rose and birch tree, a Rowan/Hawthorne cross is full of May Flowers (and produces delicious berries) Wallflower, primrose, flowering quince and calendula are blooming. 

Our local BiMart (NW chain, employee owned) has raised bed kits, and I decided to get one that's 3 x3' for the front, and some soil to fill it. .... There are front yard gardens sprinkled throughout my neighborhood, so I'm in good company! 

I looked up some YouTube videos, both on making and suggestions on filling the bed. 

• Dig out area under bed, remove roots etc
• Set the bed in place
• Cover the soil with Cardboard (barrier to roots, and worms love it)
• 2-3" native soil
• Next in layers: 2-3" potting soil, 1" compost/worm castings and 2" coconut noir (I've had this in bricks that you moisten and break down) and 2 C rock dust ... Mix a bit, add another layer till your bed is full enough. Add other amendments you like - kelp, bone meal, ...
• Water with 1/2 cup fish fertilizer in 5 gallon bucket of water, and let sit a bit

Camas and tulips

By adding nutrients, I re-use potting soil from containers, and will see what's ready to use from my compost bin. I've picked up several herbs, and may include some of those. I've already planted tarragon and thyme in one of the back beds.

What's in your garden? 

Tea Time

My first tea Camellia

I began growing tea Camellias over a decade ago, with pink and white flowered plants which lasted several years. I later found the variety from Sochi, Russia, (near the Black Sea) which does better in our more Northern clime, and my shrub is 6-8 years old. 

My British friend Nikki has a "plantation" of 9 tea Camellias in her city garden, which is a lovely mix of ornamental and edibles. Last week she mentioned beginning this year's tea harvest, and I asked how she processes it, she responded by inviting me over for Tea and a lesson! Nikki is a Brit, with roots in Belgium, and loves her tea! 

Several years ago, Nikki attended a varietal tasting with a Tea Master, was entranced with the different flavors. When nearby Red Ridge Farms, where we purchased our tea plants, offered a workshop for processing green tea at home, she was in! The teacher had lived in China with his wife while she studied acupuncture, and learned from Chinese tea masters, and gave a step by step process suitable for small batches.

Our tea time yesterday began the afternoon before, when Nikki plucked sprigs of the top two or 

Harvesting of tea in China, Tao of Tea

three leaves from several tea shrubs, which she prunes in the fall to produce a tea harvesting "table." My own plant is "wild grown," not pruned, so pruning next fall is on my list!

When I arrived, she brought out the basket of leaves which had wilted overnight, and were ready for the next step, placing the leaves in a wok on high heat, and tossing gently for a bit. Nikki asked me to bring old well washed cotton cloths, and we tipped the leaves onto a square, twisted the ends to form a ball, and rolled / kneeded the tea, while the oven heated to 400°

The next step was several rounds in the oven, in flat pans, then tipping back on the cloths to cool down in between rounds. (3 minutes, 2 minutes, and 1 minute) Each stage includes gently tossing and handling the tea. 
One of the magic bits is how fragrant this fresh tea is as it begins to dry, with a flowery, almost Jasmine odor! Who knew? After the last round, we left the tea on the cloths, while we headed out to the garden, and "plucked" a new batch of tea tips! It sprinkled earlier in the afternoon, we were grateful the sun was back out, and the tea wasn't too damp.

Freshly harvested tea leaves

She'd had me bring a basket without a handle for this step, and we plucked into the basket, tossing the tea leaves frequently. This tossing will continue today, (the leaves are already getting fragrant!) and I'll prepare a second batch this afternoon, on my own! 

After gathering some garden goodies for me, lettuce, artichokes, herbs, ... we came back inside, and had a lovely tea, sipping a brew from leaves she harvested and processed just this week, in glass tea cups from Belgium, which a cousin sent! 
Our tea included thyroid healthy snacks suggested by Medical Medium Anthony William: four banana slices topped with red dulse, several celery slices and a date, (and a bit of dark chocolate just for fun!) 

It was a lovely afternoon, and I'm looking forward to my own adventures in tea making! 

Tea on the drying racks

Nourishing Broths

Jamie's prompt this week - "How do you wish to be nourished?"

* In a little while, I'm receiving a massage from my coworker, Jackie (my goal is 2 massages each month)
* I love epsom salt baths with candles
* dancing
* meeting with friends
* hanging out with my 21 month old cherub of a grandson
* a luxuriant, abundant garden

* my most recent passion~ brothmaking ~

"Good broth will resurrect the dead"  - South American proverb.

I've always 'occasionally' made stock/broth; Wm Michael & I used to get 'dog bones' & make Dog Bone Soup (more meat than 'soup bones!' & I usually save chicken bones, & add them to my veggie trimmings for stock .... here's an excellent article on 'Bone Broth' from the Chinese medicine perspective! I love the idea of adding adaptogen herbs!  

After 9 months eating 'Plant Strong,' with little meat, I've gone through another shift - still LOTS & LOTS of OG veggies (mostly local & in season) to adding in more meat & fish - & dropping the grains & dry legumes, at least for a time, as many in the GF community feel this enhances healing the digestive system. (Paleo, or low carb, high fat) Gluten Free RN (who went GF ~ 6 years ago) has been eating this way the last 2 years, & shares her favorite resources here. (an unexpected side effect - though I was already ~ my HS weight, I've trimmed down a bit more, & now my 'skinny jeans' are baggy!!)

Cindy Micleu, MTCM, LAc. writes: "Winter is the ideal time for nourishing the Kidneys, and soup is the perfect winter food. Bone broth is prepared in cultures around the world as both a tasty, healthful soup and an easily digested medicinal food. The prolonged cooking of bones in water results in a broth rich in nutritional constituents that promote strength, tonify blood, nourish in times of sickness and rehabilitation, and help to prevent bone and connective tissue disorders.

"Chinese herbs such as Huang Qi (Astragalus) and Dang Shen (Codonopsis) may be added to increase the medicinal properties of the broth. These herbs not only enhance the nutritional status of the broth, but are flavorful and add to the sweet taste. Huang Qi and Dang Shen tonify the qi, support digestion, build energy, and strengthen immune function. Gou Qi Zi (Lycii berries) may be added for additional blood tonification."
(I have a 'soup packet' from our LAc, Lisa Pool, that I'll add to the next batch! Now, to get some *good* bones from pasture raised animals!)

********* Veggie Trimmings

When I lived at Breitenbush in the mid 90s, one of my housemates was a chef, & taught me to freeze my veggie trimmings!  This is great, as in the past, I'd often just left them in the veggie drawer, they they get mushy ....
I save many trimmings:  mushroom ends, peels, carrot tops & tips, beet & leek tops, asparagus ends, parsley & other herb stems etc etc. in a container in the freezer, & onion & garlic skins in a container on the counter. When I'm ready to make stock or broth, in they go! Bones are generally simmered first (the article has excellent instructions) & the veggie trimmings/whole veggies added for the last 1-2 hours.

Fish stock is even quicker - about 4 hours simmer time.

Brassicas (which overpower general soups/stocks) I keep separate, & simmer a brief time, for cauliflower, broccoli etc soup.

Here in the relatively warm Willamette Valley, I have sage, rosemary & even true Bay leaves available throughout the year, & I add some of those, a handful of dandelions & other wild edibles, as well as a splash of Apple Cider Vinegar to the broth as it brews. & I add a strip of seaweed, usually Kombu.

My CSA farmers made the shift to 'low carb, high fat' (rare beans or grains, but they use cream & fermented milk from their own pastured cows) last fall. & commented they're eating EVEN MORE GREENS than they were before! They pour some broth over the greens & let them cook down (40+ minutes), I pour over some coconut milk kefir, while they might add a dollop of fresh cream! mmmm 

Here are some other stock making articles - from the Healthy Home Economist  & Sally Fallon, & a great bit on making 'portable bouillon' from stock! (ever wonder what folks did 'on the road' before cup-o-soup type things?)

May you be well nourished!

Yomogi

I have a new favorite herb - Yomogi, or Japanese mugwort,
学名：Artemisia princeps

A few days ago I bought another Artemisia, Southernwood, from my herbalist friend Kate, & she asked if I might be interested in the Yomogi, which a customer at her other market had brought for her, along with a sheet on its uses. '& I certainly don't need 4 clumps!!' So yesterday she dropped some off (a gift) - & it's lovely! Rounder leaves, sweeter flavor ...

So today I looked up some uses for yomogi - besides the ones Kiyoko listed: 
Fresh YOMOGI juice - 1 Tbsp every morning
(promote health) (high blood pressure)

Yo Mo GI tea 
Yomogi leaf (dry in the shade)
(asthma - hip pain)
& to repel mosquitos, bees, wasps etc - extract elements from Yomogi (Yomogi & Alcohol) 

In the National Geographic 'Blue Zones,' (areas of the world with higher than 'usual' numbers of centaurians) one 104 year old woman in Okinawa said she cooks her rice with a Yomogi leaf or two; so I'd begun doing that, using my Western mugwort (Artemesia vulgaris). The traditional meal blessing is the Confucian-inspired adage "hara hachi bu—eat until your stomach is 80 percent full.” 


Another use of Yomogi - as an ingredient in Kusa mochi, sweet rice desert balls! I found several recipes/methods - from Garden Fairy's rememberance of her 'obaachan's garden, & sending away for Yomogi seed, to the 'old school way,' cooking the sweet rice & adzuki beans from scratch (rather than using mochi 'sweet rice' flour & red bean paste!) ...

To Bunkyo Women's college steaming the mochi then adding the yomogi, & lovely description of gathering: "When the grass and trees in the mountains and fields begin to sprout in the spring, many Japanese people enjoy walking in the mountains and picking wild plants. One of the most famous of these wild plants is yomogi (mugwort)."

& then there's the quick & easy microwave version from 350* oven!

I'm looking forward to getting to know this new plant, ... now, where to put her .... 

 

Garden of Delights

Jamie's prompt today is 'What do you wish to DELIGHT in?'
Ooo - the lovely greening - veridatis - of the gardens, flowers, growing veggies, ploting & planting.

And my grandchildren!! My grandmothers, Minnie VESTELLA & Mary Irel, both died in the decade before my arrival, so I never had the blessing of sitting on their laps & hearing their stories. So I've made a point of being more involved in my grandchildren's lives!

My daughter's 3 see a lot more of me, & I of them, as we live in the same town. My son's are a bit trickier to network with, as they're 2 hours away, & their mom is home with them, so I don't kid sit as much. Memorial weekend my youngest granddaughter & I visited, & again, with the cousins together, I don't see much of them!!

I delight in friends, I delightin delicious fresh & mostly local OG veggies & FRUITS, which are just beginning to ripen!!

I what do YOU delight, this day after the Venus 'eclipse' of the sun!!?

Home Sweet Home

Jamie's prompt today - 'What do you wish for your home?'
I love her picture of tools hanging on a wall!!

Practical: 
Boy - I'd love some solar panels on the roof, trim painted (2 story, so not by me!) & probably some work on the roof itself

My little 'old computer room' to magically transform into a luxurious pantry for all my staples, GF grains, beans, water jugs (from my friend's well) etc - here's a lovely post that I'll puruse when it's not so sunny (garden calling!!!)

A sun room/green house to the West of the house .... I love sitting outside on my porch swing (when I'm not putzing in the garden) ... would be fun to have a place to sit when it's not quite that warm that still takes advantage of the sun

& energetic - for my home to feel warm & welcoming to all who enter!
That's improving, ... visited friends on the weekend, & I'm always impressed when I'm in a home with no piles tucked here & there! Clear counters, beautiful bamboo cabinets & kitchen stools, lots of light in the living room .... such a pretty home.

We went to dinner at a McMansion - which was beyond beyond beyond anything I've ever lived in - grand piano in ONE OF the sitting rooms, glass sink on a pedestal in the bathroom (I'm always intrigued with pretty bathrooms) ...

I love my little home!! & wish it to know I love living here, the wood floors, the pretty colours, the books, harps, simple kitchen, tucked away laundry closet .... & the LOVELY big back yard full of garden space, fruit shrubs & trees, an herb garden, & lots of room for veggies!

What do you wish for YOUR home??

From the fairy garden

A couple of weeks ago I went on a sweet self-guided bike tour of 4 local veggie gardens. I DID ride my bike, & began at my friend Ellie's - she & her hubby have gardened almost 20 years on their HUGE plot, three terraces, they RARELY buy any veggies (don't even buy starts!) ... They have a lot that goes down to the creek (they don't garden the floodplain area - & have a deer fence between the 'tame' & bottom land.) Though it's mostly a 'practical' garden, with flowers relegated to flower beds around the house, one planting that I want to imitate - asparagus with Bells of Ireland!

The second garden I visited was a plot more like mine. Mike's (pictured above) is a normal size city lot, with mounded beds, a few sheds, a little spiral herb garden, several Orach - the red plant top Rt in pic., he gave me a seed head!! I had read that there are enzymes in the seed casing that help the seed sprout, so seed of this quinoa relative is a welcome gift!
In the front yard, Mike used sheet mulch in a large area & planted fall crops. He also has corn, beans & squash (3 sisters) in a garden in front - along with sunflowers & other big plants. He had a chicken 'tractor' (w/1 chicken) & a rainwater catchment ...
Both Mike & Ellie grow 'Black Aztec Corn' - Mike grinds it for cornbread, & Ellie's husband parches the kernels. All the gardens use drip irrigation & had late summer/fall plants - carrots, chard & spinach, cabbage, beans, leeks, tomatoes & tomatillas. Mikes also had currents & blueberries, while Ellie has an espalliered fruit orchard, persimmons, grape, fig, thornless blackberry ...

The next plot was a CSA on a city lot - Paul doesn't like mowing lawn, so put in raised beds when he moved in a couple of years ago, ordered mushroom compost, & began gardening! (goodness, wouldn't folks who object to veggies in front yards have a conniption fit!) He grows enough on one lot to feed his own & several other families (the CSA runs 20 weeks). His was the only garden with boards around the beds - the others use mounded systems.

And last was the Community Garden on Salvation Army land - both individual plots, & ones that are harvested for food boxes. They did have a few 'boxed' beds, but most were also mounded. A local shop owner (who has her 'sunny garden' plot here) buys cut flowers from the Community Garden! Folks with individual plots work in the community area several hours every month, & pay a very modest fee for their rows.

I have been perusing gardening books for ideas on cover crops & what to plant late summer/ early fall, & crop rotation. I planted carrots, salsify, buckwheat & radishes in one side of the old garlic bed, & beets, buckwheat & radishes in the other. Borage comes up on its own in that bed.

In a bed close to the quinoa, I put winter spinach, chard, arugula, lettuce mix, Endive, scatter planted corn salad, & edged with parsley, corriander, calendula & nasturtium seed. I have a sweet little pottery 'hedgehog' for sprinkling the seedbeds with.

On Monday (Labor Day) I did the 'soil balancing process' from Machaelle Small Wright's 'Garden Workbook' series. (check out her entry on 'gut gardening' to get started!!)
I'll write more about this process later - basically, you use soil amendments in a 'homeopathic' manner, working with Nature to balance & vitalize the soil. Machaelle writes: "The soil balancing & Stabilizing Process impacts the soil's vitality & not its physical fertilizer levels. However, when you use this process, you will find that the soil will test for fewer fertilizer needs. The process will have improved the soil vitality, which allows for more efficient interaction between plants & their surrounding soil."

On Friday, picking a book I'd requested up from the library, I also came home with 'Gaia's Garden, a guide to homescale permaculture.' WOW - lovely book! I can see that several of Mike's garden ideas came from this book, including the spiral herb garden! I'm attending a Permaculture 'Convergence' mid-October, so this is a timely read.

In Gaia's Garden, Toby recommends sheet mulch to prepare new ground, & occasional 'hugelculture' plots - using brush that you tromp down, then pile on mulch, top w/compost or an inch of soil & plant. (he says potatoes & squash LOVE these 'mounds') He gives of ideas for garden communities - broadcasting several kinds of seed over the same area, & what to plant in succession in those gardens; for conserving water, thinking beyond the vegetable garden, etc.

The last couple of days I've been working up several areas, trying the sheet mulch & a hugelculture mound.
The pic with the tall grass (above) shows this area in the middle of May, when I was cutting the grass with a hand sickle. I just piled the grass in heaps on the areas I didn't work up. My raspberry patch is in the back of this pic.

In August I dug the bed on the Right (next pictures) over a couple of days, & dug in a bag of mushroom compost, some lime, kelp, & other soil amendments. The bed on the L has been covered with the thick layer of mulch, & is ready for the last layers of compost & top mulch. These beds join in a U or 'keyhole' shape, with the top of the bed also being covered in mulch.

For sheet mulch, begin the day before by thoroughly watering the site you plan to mulch, & gather your materials. The next day, slash any vegetation, leaving it in place to compost (I'd done that in May, & covered with the layer of dry grass). Cover with a thin layer of soil amendments (lime, bone meal, kelp, etc) & open the soil a bit by wiggling a spading fork in different areas, if needed.
Add a layer of compost or green plant matter (I used chopped comfrey leaves & compost) ~ 1" thick - sprinkle with water.
Next layer is cardboard (I had several big boxes from my office) or 1/4-1/2" of newspaper - no glossy sheets - very wet. Overlap 6", & wet this layer (I sprayed the back of the cardboard before laying it down.
Next layer: another thin layer of manure/compost/greens
Next: 8-12" of loose straw, hay, leaves, grass etc - with some green matter mixed in, or blood meal etc (for nitrogen) ... wet layers as you add them - should 'be the consistency of a wrung out sponge' (Bed on Left, above, is covered with this mulch layer)
Top with another inch of compost or soil (last picture)
And mulch with 2" 'weed free' matter: straw, pine needles, wood shavings.

I used pine needles from my daughter's yard for the final layer of mulch (they are quite happy to pass them on, esp if I gather them!), & planted with seeds as the sun was setting: lettuce mix, buckwheat, spinach, onions, calendula, beans & borage.

A gal friend is giving me strawberry starts soon, so I looked up companion plants for strawberries. Years ago I planted strawberries in an herb circle, & made a LOVELY patch! I'll get some thyme plants from Incahoots, & perhaps plant some other low herbs around the edge ...
Rather than digging or tilling these beds, you simply add compost & mulch occasionally, push the mulch aside to plant or seed the compost layer. You can also dig kitchen waste directly into these beds, rather than the compost bin.

Enjoy your garden adventures!

Land Tuning

I've written about this before, but seems timely to post about it again!

Recently I've seen several posts concerning extreme weather in various parts of the country (Hurricane, drought). Let's think Local, & let it ripple out! The guides say "You may get asked to do several pieces of land. Thank you for doing this service."

Several years ago, my friend Molly Sheehan of Green Hope Farm Essences shared this wonderful land clearing practice, given by the guides of her land. She gardens co-creatively, & has a very sweet 'anyone can do this' attitude. Molly graciously gave me permission to share this, saying that the more people doing this or similar processes the better!

Machaelle Wright of Perelandra teaches similar processes in her Garden Workbooks, & offers her own powerful essences. I work with both of their processes & essences, integrating them into my own processes.

Molly comments that the guides & devas delight in being asked to help us, "A group of spiritual entities connected with Nature do the actual energy cleansing but this group cannot do this work unless a human asks them to do it. It is one of our vital roles in the co-creation & maintenance of earth. If a human doesn't ask for energy cleansing for a piece of land & this land is holding a lot of negativity, spirit's only options for removing this negativity are extreme weather."

What a perfect time to share this process!

** Imagine the boundaries of the land you wish to clear (you may want to have a map of your property, if it's larger, & may be guided to clear it in sections. If you're in an apt., clear your own space, imagining the grounding cord of the apt going into the earth below you, & clear the land surrounding the apt. Invite guidance for what best suites your circumstances!

Energy Cleansing Process

Find a quiet & comfortable place to center yourself. In the beginning, you'll want to be in the garden/ on the land you're clearing.

"Ask for assistance from:

The Overlighting Deva of the piece of land you want to clean. This being from the Angelic realm holds the divine plan for this piece of land. (Deva is a Sanskrit word meaning 'being of Light')

Angels Overlighting the land. They work with the Deva

The Elementals of the land. These are the beings who bring land into form & then hold it there so we can live in a physical world. Gnomes for the Earth element, Undine with water, Sylphs work with air, & Salamanders with fire.

Pan, Head Elemental of Earth (Machaelle Wright calls Pan the CEO of Nature)

Any Ascended Master of God realized being who is connected with this piece of land. There may or may not be any connected, depending on the piece of land. (You can always invite the presence of the Ascended Master Jesus Christ, Mother Mary, Quan Yin, St Germain, & other Masters with whom you you feel connected.)

Deva of the Earth's atmosphere, Lunaria

Deva of the Earth's surface, Sapphalo

Deva of the sun in the center of the Earth, Darndella

Our Sun, Helios & Vesta.

"After you call in this group, ask them to CLEANSE, CLEAR, RE-BALANCE & ILLUMINATE the land you are clearing.

"You can visualize all the negativity being removed from the land both below & above the ground. You can visualize yourself or an angel holding a sword (Michael/Michaella) cutting all the negativity free, perhaps spinning in a circle holding the sword out; or you can imagine a big gyroscope whirling & cleansing. The image only needs to work for you. If visualization isn't possible, it's OK. The land will still be cleansed because you have asked to have it done. Close the session with a thanks to everyone involved.

"This is the bare bones of a process. Over time you will probably develop your own individual approach. For example, you may get to know the names of the Deva & Angels of the land. You may get shown a process that will improve on this one. You may get asked to do several pieces of land. Thank you for doing this service."

** I also like to imagine a hedge of roses (think Brier Rose) with portals of violet flame at the entrances, clearing folks' energy as they enter or leave. At times I erect a golden pyramid above my property (rectangular here :) or a violet bubble - check in & see if any images come!

Any time you feel vulnerable, are concerned about weather or safety, take a few moments to do this process. It helps to have quick name for the process - you may simply invite 'Devas, Angels & guides of land clearing, please CLEANSE, CLEAR, RE-BALANCE & ILLUMINATE this land!'

* Besides clearing my own land, I often invite the Devas/guides of the city where I live (or someplace I'm visiting) to CLEANSE, CLEAR, RE-BALANCE & ILLUMINATE that place, as appropriate. I figure anyplace humans can toss litter, I can invite the guides to help clear! I especially see the 'green areas' being cleared, parks, the planting strips & flower pots in the downtown, etc. Molly invites us to listen to our guidance, & network with the devas, guides & elementals on this!

* I printed out a copy, put it in a vinyl 'sheet protector,' & posted it in my shower, & would clear the land each morning as I cleansed myself! Currently I keep one on an altar, & one at my office. It really does only take a few minutes, & is well worth the extra effort! Molly does it daily, I usually do it weekly, but at times more often.

If you have a name for your land/home, use that. Journal about the process, share it, do it with a group - & do it whenever you're worried about 'weather' or other extreme happenings around the planet! It helps.

* When you're gardening, do a clearing first, & imagine that you're infusing light into the soil as you play in it. Bless the water you offer your garden, & the plants as you place & nurture them. At Findhorn Garden in Scotland, the original gardeners worked in close harmony with nature, & were enjoined to bring light into the soil as they worked with it, to eat from the garden, & to drink lots of water.

Today I was reading Doreen Virtue's "Healing With the Fairies. I have her deck of the same name, & enjoy pulling a fairy card or two to for inspiration.

On page 71 she writes:"Deep within lightworkers' hearts & guts, they have a sense of time urgency.
"... think of a smog layer over the earth, but imagine instead of air pollution, it is a collection of fear-based thoughts. It consists of all the anger felt during morning commutes to work, plus 'lack thoughts,' where humans believe they lack the money, love or time that they need. These negative energies clog the dense level hugging the earth. ... it has a detrimental effect on everyone on the planet, including Mother Earth herself.

"If lightworkers lived & breathed this 'smog' which we call' race-mind consciousness,' they would become depressed and incapable of helping to eradicate it. So the heavenly supporters to lightworkers -- including the archangels, master healers, teachers, elementals, & starpeople -- send strong bands of lightwaves to the lighworkers. It is usually received in one ear as a high pitched tone that can seem loud, & even painful. This tone elevates the body's frequency above the race-mind consciousness, so the lightworker can retain a pool of energy & hopefulness that will motivate him or her to contribute to the solution."

Performing Land tunings on a regular basis contributes to the solution, & helps reduce 'smog' & raise vibration - both our own, our land & those around us. Won't you please add your 'tunings!'

Fall Gardening

As the slow starting, but now very nice summer rolls toward fall, my thoughts turn to planting some fall veggies! I'm lucky to live in an area where fall/winter gardening is fairly simple, though I don't always remember to get things planted at the right times!

The bare bed in the back of this pic held garlic which I harvested & braided a few weeks ago, the one in front has tomatoes, an artichoke, cantaloupe, cucumber & crockneck squash. Russian Red Kale is already coming up in that bed, self-seeding from plantings past. I've dug a couple of new beds, after covering areas of lawn with cardboard & grass clippings (this sounds more civilized than it is, some is 2' tall, & cut with a small sickle!) And have been reading up on crop rotations & increasing soil fertility.

This summer there have been a few 'rages' over folks planting their front lawns to vegetables, while others extol that practice as ecologically & visually sound. In Western Oregon, we're lucky that many communities seem to welcome, or at least accept, veggies in the front yard, composting, rain barrels & the like. I have a mix of herbs & flowers in front, with most of my veggies in my big back yard (lot is 50' x 100', with the house toward the front, so lots of room for veggie beds, fruit plantings, etc.)

I've had a CSA share the last couple of years, & we're also blessed with a couple of weekly farmers markets, one that runs 12 months of the year. Our local OG farmers grow both familiar & unusual vegetables, & it's always fun to try a few new varieties.

Since quinoa is one of my favorite seed/grains, I've got a couple of rows, plus a few of amaranth. These plants are used in many cultures as both a green & for their seeds, so I've been picking & cooking a few leaves at a time.I also have the perennial 'Good King Henry,' which is setting seed this year.

A few weeks ago I came home the farmers market with a bag of salad mix from Growing Wild Farm which included a lovely 'green' with bright magenta tips, obviously related to lambs quarters/ quinoa - Yum! It was delightful in salad or cooked, & so pretty.
When I asked about it later, they thought it was purple orach, but from the pictures on-line, it looked more like Magentaspreen, so I ordered seed of both a magenta orach, & Magentaspreen from Nichols Garden Nursery, & will soon plant some.
In this photo, the Magentaspreen is on the left (both green & fuscia leaves), Red Hopi Dye amaranth in the middle, cherry vanilla quinoa on the Right, & the more familiar shiny purple basil at the top (to show size).

All of these (except the basil) are in the 'goosefoot' family, related to our more modern spinach, & have been in cultivation for hundreds of years. An article on saving seed warns against planting several varieties close together if you want your seed to be 'true' to form, but also comment you can get some interesting variations if you do so! And they can all self-seed - but are nicely edible!

My son has a good crop of wild Lambs Quarters growing, which we call 'Emily Spinach,' as his 7 year old LOVES greens, & will go out & harvest a batch, then bring it in & cook it herself! I'm thinking of giving them some of the Magentaspreen seed to try as well.

In the "Ladybug Letter," Andy, a gardener & blogger talks about growing orach & ruminates on how to market 'red greens' with such funny names (goosefoot or mountain spinach)!

These 'greens' are best picked when 8-10", or you can harvest individual leaves as I do, leaving the tops to set seed. Quinoa seed has saponin (soap), so needs to be rinsed before cooking; but is a simple 'grain' for the home garden - & wonderfully gluten free!

Some seeds/plants for late summer/early fall planting: Leafy greens (lettuces, salad mixes, quinoa & its relatives, spinach, arugula, chard and mâche [corn salad]); root veggies (beets, carrots, onions, turnips, radishes, salsify, and rutabagas); brassicas (broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower, collards, kale and Chinese cabbage); leeks & bulb fennel, and fava beans & peas will all thrive in the cooler weather and shorter days of fall. Some herbs & flowers(parsley, calendula, nasturtium, cilantro) may be planted now as well. In many regions, some of these cold-hardy crops will even survive the winter to produce a second harvest in spring.
You can plant small lettuce or sew seeds under tomatoes, to take advantage of the shade. Some gardeners recommend mulching around late summer sewn seeds/plants, to retain soil moisture. Seattle 'Tilth' publishes a great year round gardening guide for the NW, which gives month by month tips on planting & soil health.

Consider planting cover crops in some of the beds (one suggestion is to have 1/3 or 1/4 of the garden beds in a cover crop, to enrich the soil & hold it in place). These can be cut & dug into the soil or added to the compost pile. Buckwheat, clovers (red, Austrian, Crimson, white), alfalfa, fava beans are all options. Your county extension office will have suggestions for your area.
Buckwheat is good for any season, as it matures rapidly & can be cut when 1/3 of the plants are blooming & chopped into the soil. The feed store a few blocks from me sells such seed in bulk, which is very handy for the home gardener who may only need a handful of seed.

Happy gardening!

Yard Projects

I've been working on cleaning up my yard! My 'BD gift' from the city was a note that I needed to get rid of 'noxious weeds' over 10" tall. Now I *love to garden* - & get overwhelmed with the amount to be done . . .

My daughter lived next door several years, then moved across town. I'd relied on her & her hubby for help, in *exchange* for a lot of babysitting :) That's shifted the last few years, now that the littlest is in kindergarten, I don't even watch them Monday mornings!!

My son Josh was going to be in town, & I asked Mary & my friend Leonard if they could help - we got THREE loads of yard debris to 'Greenlands' - the composting branch of our local garbage service! We did one load last Thursday (my birthday :) & got most of the rest into the driveway for taking yesterday - what a nice change!! Leonard brought a weed eater, Mary, Josh, Alyssa & I clipped & chopped extra brush & the ubiquitous blackberries . . . Josh would ask 'why did you plant this?!' & I'd reply - I didn't - the birds did!!' Hazels, an oak tree (way too close to the fence, & our native oaks get HUGE) . . .

This morning I'm clipping a bit more in the driveway, chopping out a few weeds, & moving the garbage & recycling bins closer to the 'garage.' Mary still has a bunch of boxes in the garage that need to go home for sorting - another use for that nice big truck! There be spiders, so we need a few sunny days.

& Leonard brought over a 1x6 board to replace a couple on my back step that had rotted out - which necessitated a trip to Lowes for nails - & I found some lovely big rings on eye screws that I'll run a hazel rod through to make a new clothes bar for the square dance outfits I'm accumulating!! I think I'll put up two, one for the fluffy petticoats -

Josh brought his post setter, & drove a green fence stake into the ground so we could slip an 'umbrella' clothesline post over it - viola! A new clothesline!! My folks hung clothes & bedding out whenever they could, & I've missed having one here! A gal friend got one at Bi-Mart last summer, & someone suggested the fence post rather than sinking a sleeve into concrete - made sense to me, & I just happened to have an extra post from an old bit of fence! This morning I hung out a few clothes!

My next project is a new compost bin. I helped Leonard with a few projects around his yard on Monday, & he has a pile of pallets for a project - with some extras. I have one of those black bins (back left in the shed photo, behind the blue tarp) which is great, but I've wanted something a bit easier to access - so checked on line & found this fun bin, made with pallets! I'll line it with hardware cloth to keep rodents out, & plan to cover it with a carpet strip as suggested (with 1x1s nailed to the ends, so it will drap over easily, but also be easy to remove! I may use a devider with hardware cloth down the middle, so effectively have two bins, fill one first, then begin the second, with lots of room for the worms to 'migrate' to the second side!

I'm also thinking of what kind of fence to put up at the back of my yard - Mary & I took out the huge shrubs on her side of the chain link fence, & we installed a gate - with new neighbors, I want something taller again. The neighbors to the N & S have cedar fences, & we looked at the cedar boards at Lowes. One friend did a lovely fence using both cedar & bamboo, I need to visit & see how that's weathered.